PEST OF PADDY
introduction Paddy : - As we know paddy is also known as rice. The scientific name of crop rice is Oryza sativa. Rice belongs to the family Gramineae. This crop is attacked by over 100 insect pests. Near about 20 pests cause the great economic loss to man.
Overview of paddy
3 important pests of paddy Leptocorisa acuta ( gandhi bug ) Hieroglyphus banian (rice grasshopper) Dicladispa armigera (rice hispa)
Leptocorisa acuta Classification Kingdom – Animalia Phylum – Arthropoda Class – Insecta Division – Pterygota Order – Hemiptera Family – Coreidae Genus – Leptocorisa Species – acuta
Distribution and food plants The rice bug occurs in the tropical and sub tropical areas of oriental region . It is widely distributed in our country . food plants. The rice bug feeds on rice plants( oryza sativa). However millets , maize , bajra , jawar and some grasses also act as hosts .
Life history The female bug lays 24 -30 eggs which are attached to paddy leaf in rows . The eggs are rounded yellow and 1mm long . Small, slender , pale green ,wing less nymph emerge in 6- 8 days . They grow into adult winged bugs 15 to 18 days by 5 moults . Entire life cycle takes 4-5 weeks and there are 5 broods in 1 paddy season.
Adult bug The bug is green, light brown in colour, about 15 to 17mm long. With long slender legs and antennae. It emits a strong , unpleasant , aromatic smell from odoriferous glands on the thorax They are diurnal and more active in the morning and evening. The adult bug live for 33-35 days
ADULT BUG
Damage Nymph and adult suck the milky juice developing grains which are fail to mature . The affected grains bear black fungus spots that marks punctures left by the pests. The rice bug may cause 5 to 50% loss of crop. The infested field emits foul smell .
Control Make the nymphs drop by shaking the plants into water having a thin film of kerosene oil . The pest may be killed by dusting 5% malathion or 5% carbaryl . The pest may be handpicked and killed in crude oil emulsion . Resistance variety should be used.
Hieroglyphus banian Classification Kingdom – Animalia Phylum – Arthropoda Class – Insecta Divison – Pterygota Order –Orthoptera Family – Acrididae Genus – Hieroglyphus Species – banian
Distribution and Habits The rice grasshopper is common in the paddy growing region all over the India especially in eastern U.P. It is sporadic pest in Punjab . Habits :- It is shining , greenish yellow and about 40-50 mm long. It has 3 black transverse lines on the pronotum . Winter and dry part of summer is passed in the egg stage.
Life history The eggs are laid in pods about 5-8 cm deep in the ground. They hatch in late june , or early july , a few days after the first shower of monsoon . The nymph start feeding and grow into adult in 3 weeks after 7 moults . The young nymph is yellow with many reddish brown spots , bt it becomes greenish as it grows. There is single brood in the year.
Adult rice grasshopper
Damage and control Damage Both nymphs and adult feed on paddy leaf and soft grain in the year . They may cause 10 – 30 % loss of the crop. Control ;- Resistance variety should be used Dusting with 5% carbaryl or 5% malathion is effective against the rice grasshopper
Dicladispa armigera Classification Kingdom – Animalia Phylum- Arthropoda Class – Insecta Division – Pterygota Order – Coleoptera Family – Chrysomelidae Genus – Dicladispa Species - armigera
Distribution and Habits The rice beetle occurs practically all over the India. It is mostly present in Punjab and Haryana . Habits ;- Grubs are leaf miners , feeding on tissue between the upper and lower epidermis. It hibernate in winter . Adults are surface feeder , scraping out green matter .
Life history The eggs are laid in the leaf tips of the nursery plants. The emerging grub feed as leaf minors , grow and pupate also there . Then adult beetles come out . The rice beetle feeds actively from may to october . It produces 6 broods in the year in Bihar and only 2-3 in Punjab .
View of adult rice beetle The adult beetle has about 5mm long bluish black body bearing numerous short spine .
Control The infested leaf tips should be cut of and destroyed during transplantation . Beetles gathered with broom and destroyed . Spray of chlorpyriphos or methyl parathion is effective against rice hispa. Store in dry places and expose the grains in sunlight. Resistance varieties should be used .